Iranian Foreign Ministry Summons Swiss Envoy Over Seizure Of Tehran's Tanker - Reports

Iranian Foreign Ministry Summons Swiss Envoy Over Seizure of Tehran's Tanker - Reports

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the Swiss envoy representing the interests of the United States in Tehran over the seizure of Iranian oil tanker Lana carrying crude oil in the waters of Greece in mid-April, Iranian media reported

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2022) The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the Swiss envoy representing the interests of the United States in Tehran over the seizure of Iranian oil tanker Lana carrying crude oil in the waters of Greece in mid-April, Iranian media reported.

Iranian news agency Tasnim cited the foreign ministry as saying that the tanker was seized under the order from the US. The ministry expressed strong protest to the envoy and demanded that the tanker and its cargo be immediately released.

On Wednesday, the ministry also summoned the Greek charge d'affaires in Tehran to protest the tanker's seizure. The ministry condemned the "unacceptable" surrender of Greece to "illegal" US pressures and said that the "seizure of the cargo of the ship" flying the Iranian flag was "an example of international piracy," according to Tasnim.

Greek authorities said on Thursday that Athens will send the Iranian oil carried by the tanker to the US.

The crude oil cargo of the Iranian-flagged tanker was seized in Greek waters in mid-April at the request of the US Department of Justice. The Greek media reported on Thursday that the tanker breached the US and European sanctions by carrying over 100,000 tons of Iranian crude oil. At the time of the seizure, the tanker was flying a Russian flag and was named Pegas. The tanker was also carrying a crew of 19 Russians. In order to avoid anti-Russian sanctions, the name of the tanker was changed from Pegas to Luna and was flying the Iranian flag instead of the Russian one in early May.